Refrigerator and Fan Assembly for Refrigerator

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a fan assembly for a refrigerator. In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, there may be provided a refrigerator, including a main body having one or more storage spaces, one or more doors configured to open or close at least part of the one or more storage spaces, a cool air supply device configured to supply cool air to maintain the storage space at a predetermined temperature, food storage separators configured to partition the one or more storage spaces and store food, and a fan assembly in the one or more storage spaces configured to circulate air in the one or more storage spaces.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a fan assembly fora refrigerator.

BACKGROUND

A refrigerator is an apparatus aimed at the low-temperature storage offood and is configured for the cold storage or freezing storage of food.To this end, the refrigerator may include a cool air supply device inwhich a cooling or refrigeration cycle has been implemented. The coolair supply device is configured so that a refrigerant undergoes acompression-condensation-expansion-evaporation process. Cool air isgenerated as the refrigerant circulates in the cooling cycle. The coolair generated by the evaporator of the cool air supply device issupplied to the storage space of the refrigerator. Food within therefrigerator may be stored under a required temperature condition as thecool air supplied to the storage space of the refrigerator is circulatedby convection current. In general, the main body of the refrigerator hasa rectangular shape having an open front, and the inside of the mainbody includes a cold room and a freezing room. Furthermore, a cold roomdoor and freezing room door for selectively closing or shielding acorresponding opening is provided at the front of the main body.

The refrigerator may be basically divided into a top-mount type in whichthe freezing room is above the cold room, a bottom-freezer type in whichthe freezing room is below the cold room, and a side-by-side type inwhich the freezing room and the cold room are laterally adjacent to oneanother and partitioned depending on the location of the freezing roomand the cold room.

In order for a user to take out food stored in the refrigerator, he orshe has to open the cold room door or the freezing room door. At thistime, high-temperature air outside the refrigerator is introduced intothe cold room or the freezing room. The external air causes thetemperature within the refrigerator to increase. The cool air supplydevice must be driven in order to maintain a proper temperature withinthe refrigerator. However, it may take a lot of time for the cool airsupply device to be driven and to generate cool air, the cool air to beintroduced into the freezing room and the cold room, and then for thefreezing room and the cold room to return to a proper temperature againand the temperature distribution within the refrigerator to becomeuniform. The introduction of external air has a bad influence on thefreshness of food stored in the refrigerator.

In particular, in the case of a top-mount refrigerator using a singleevaporator, cool air generated by the evaporator circulates in thefreezing room, and is then introduced into the cold room. Accordingly,if the cold room door is open and external air having a relatively hightemperature is introduced into the cold room, a lot of time may be takenfor the temperature in the cold room to return to a proper temperature.

In order to solve such problems, there has been proposed a technologyfor a ventilation fan for generating a forced convection current so thatcool air within the freezing room or the cold room circulates well.

However, the ventilation fan typically has a small size and uses lowpower due to issues such as limited space, increased noise, andincreased vibrations. Thus, even when the ventilation fan is used, itdoes not sufficiently rapidly reduce and/or stabilize the temperature inthe refrigerator and/or make the temperature distribution in therefrigerator sufficiently uniform.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT Patent Document

Patent Document 1: Korean Patent No. 10-1615373 (Apr. 19, 2016)

Patent Document 2: Korean Patent No. 10-0774003 (Oct. 31, 2017)

SUMMARY

In order to solve such problems, embodiments of the present disclosureprovide a refrigerator capable of rapidly returning a temperature in therefrigerator to a proper temperature when external air having arelatively high temperature is introduced into the refrigerator uponopening a door, and a fan assembly for the refrigerator.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure provide arefrigerator capable of making the temperature distribution in therefrigerator uniform, and a fan assembly for such a refrigerator.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure provide arefrigerator having relatively low noise and vibrations, although therefrigerator uses a fan and a fan assembly.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention, theremay be provided a refrigerator, including a main body having one or morestorage spaces; one or more doors configured to open or close at leastpart of the one or more storage spaces; a cool air supply deviceconfigured to supply cool air to maintain the one or more storage spacesat a predetermined temperature; food storage separators configured topartition the one or more storage spaces; and a fan assembly in the oneor more storage spaces and configured to circulate the air in the one ormore storage spaces. The fan assembly comprises a housing having a flowspace configured to recirculate the air in the one or more storagespaces; a suction guide unit having a suction passage configured tointroduce the air to an inner space of the housing; a fan unit in acentral part of the suction guide unit; a damping unit in the suctionguide unit that surrounds the fan unit and is configured to absorbvibrations of the fan unit; and a discharge guide unit having adischarge passage configured to discharge the air from the inner spaceof the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of thepresent disclosure will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configurationof a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a shape of a multi-duct shown in FIG. 1 anda fan assembly in the multi-duct.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the fan assembly in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a suction guide shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a vibration-proof member shown in FIG.3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a discharge guide shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the fan assembly in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the rear side of the fan assembly inFIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the fan assembly in FIG. 2.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along line I-I of the fan assembly inFIG. 2.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the suction guide of the fan assemblyfor a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the fan assembly to which the suction guideof FIG. 11 has been applied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to the drawings.

In addition, in the description of the present disclosure, the detaileddescription of known functions and configurations incorporated hereinmay be omitted if they would unnecessarily obscure the features of thesubject matter of the present disclosure.

In the following description, the terms “front” or “front side” mayrefer to a direction toward the front side of a refrigerator (e.g., theside having doors for opening and closing the refrigerator), and theterms “back” or “back side” may refer to a direction toward the rearside of the refrigerator. The terms “left direction” or “left,” and“right direction” or “right,” may refer to one particular direction andthe other or opposite direction, respectively.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configurationof a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a shape of a multi-duct shown in FIG. 1and a fan assembly in the multi-duct.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure is for keeping food in alow-temperature state. The refrigerator 1 may include a main body 10having one or more storage spaces 11 and 12 for food and one or moredoors 13 and 14 configured to open or close at least part of the storagespaces 11 and 12. For example, the storage spaces may include a coldroom 11 and a freezing room 12. A cold room door 13 for selectivelyopening and closing or shielding the cold room 11 and a freezing roomdoor 14 for selectively opening and closing or shielding the freezingroom 12 may be provided on (e.g., hingedly attached to) the front of themain body 10.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 may be a refrigerator ofthe top-mount type. In the refrigerator 1 of the top-mount type, thefreezing room 12 is over the cold room 11, and cool air generated by anevaporator 17 at the back side of the inner case of the main body 10 maybe discharged from the back side of the freezing room 12.

The refrigerator 1 may include a cool air supply device configured tosupply cool air (e.g., using a cooling cycle) and maintain the storagespaces at a predetermined temperature or in a predetermined temperaturerange. The cool air supply device may include a compressor, an expansionvalve, the evaporator 17 and a condenser.

The compressor, expansion valve, etc. of the cool air supply device maybe in a machine room 16 on one side of the refrigerator 1. A refrigerantfrom the machine room 16 may be provided to the evaporator 17 at theback side of the freezing room 12. Air may pass through or over theevaporator 17, and the refrigerant may draw heat from the air, thusgenerating the cool air.

The cool air from the evaporator 17 may be discharged to the internalspace of the freezing room 12 by a ventilation fan 18. A part of thecool air discharged by the ventilation fan 18 may be guided into thecold room 11 by a guide plate 18 a. The cool air guided by the guideplate 18 a may be supplied to the cold room 12 through a cool air supplypath 19 in a barrier that partitions the cold room 11 and the freezingroom 12. Thus, the guide plate 18 a may be in front of the ventilationfan 18. In one embodiment, a separate cool air inlet at the bottom ofthe freezing room 12 may be connected to the cool air supply path 19,and cool air may circulate in the freezing room 12 and may be suppliedto the cold room 11 through the cool air supply path 19.

The cool air, the temperature of which has risen in the cold room 11 andthe freezing room 12, may be supplied to the evaporator 17 again througha return passage, thus recirculating the cool air in the storage spaces.

Such a method of supplying and recirculating cool air may properlychange according to various embodiments, and the spirit of the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto.

A plurality of shelves or storage boxes configured to store food may bein the cold room 11 and the freezing room 12. A plurality of basketsconfigured to store food may be on the back side of the doors 13 and 14.A user may efficiently store food in the storage spaces in therefrigerator using food storage separators 15 configured to partitionthe storage spaces, such as the shelves, storage boxes and baskets.

A multi-duct 100 configured to discharge cool air through a plurality ofpoints may be in the cold room 11. For example, the multi-duct 100 maybe fixed or attached to the back side of the cold room 11 and maydischarge cool air, through the cool air supply path 19 into the coldroom 11. A cool air inlet 120 configured to receive the cool air may beat the top 110 of the multi-duct 100. A cool air passage (not shown)communicating with the cool air inlet 120 may be configured to guide thecool air to or within the multi-duct 110. Furthermore, the multi-duct100 may span the cold room 11 across the height (e.g., from the floor tothe ceiling) of the cold room 11, and may discharge the cool air from aplurality of points. For example, the multi-duct 100 may include aplurality of outlets 102 spaced apart across the height of the cold room11. The outlets 102 may be open in the left and right directions of themulti-duct 100, and may discharge the cool air from the cool air passage(not shown) of the multi-duct 100 in the left and right directions ofthe cold room 11.

In some embodiments, the multi-duct 100 may be in the freezing room 12,may have a shape extending in the left and right directions, and maydischarge cool air in the multi-duct 100 to the front direction, ratherthan the lateral direction of the multi-duct 100.

The multi-duct 100 may include a fan assembly 200 configured to maintaina uniform temperature distribution in the cold room 11 by circulatingcool air in the cold room 11 and returning the temperature in the coldroom 11 to a predetermined temperature or temperature range (e.g., whenthe cold room 11 becomes too warm) using the cool air supplied to thecold room 11.

In one embodiment, the fan assembly 200 is in the cold room 11, and morespecifically, in the multi-duct 100, but the spirit of the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the fan assembly 200 maybe in the freezing room 12 and may be used to discharge cool air fromthe evaporator 17 or to recirculate already-discharged cool air.Although the fan assembly 200 is in the cold room 11, it may be in aspecific space in the cold room 11 other than the multi-duct 100. Thatis, in one embodiment, the fan assembly 200 may be on the sidewall of astorage space storing food, and may be in one or more of the cold room11 and the freezing room 12.

The fan assembly 200 is described in detail with reference to thedrawings.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the fan assembly in FIG. 2.FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a suction guide in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is aperspective view of a vibration-proof member in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is aperspective view of a discharge guide in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a perspectiveview of the fan assembly in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of therear side of the fan assembly in FIG. 2. FIG. 9 is a front view of thefan assembly in FIG. 2. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along line I-Iof the fan assembly shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 10, the front of the fan assembly 200 may beoriented toward or away from a food storage space. After siphoning airfrom the storage space, the fan assembly 200 may discharge air whilegenerating a whirlwind toward the storage space. As described above, thefan assembly 200 may discharge air further and with more force thanotherwise by applying rotatory power to the air flow when the air isdischarged. Furthermore, the straightness of the discharged air may befurther improved because the air siphoned by the fan assembly 200 isconfined by the fan assembly.

The front of the fan assembly 200 may include a fan at the center,configured to generate the air flow. In one embodiment, the air flow mayform a vertex in a rounded rectangular form. However, the spirit of thepresent disclosure is not limited thereto. The fan assembly 200 may havea specific shape, such as a circle or rectangle.

Specifically, the fan assembly 200 may include a housing 210 configuredto provide a flow space configured such that the air introduced from thefront of the fan assembly 200 into the housing may be discharged orrecirculated to the front again, a suction guide unit 220 configured toprovide a passage that introduces the air into the housing 210, a fanunit 230 in the central part of the suction guide unit 220, a dampingunit 240 configured to fix or attach the fan unit 230 to the suctionguide unit 220 and to absorb vibrations generated by the fan unit 230, adischarge guide unit 250 configured to rotate a flow of air dischargedby the fan unit 230 in one direction, and a fixing unit 260 configuredto fix or attach the discharge guide unit 250 to the suction guide unit220. In this case, the one direction of rotation of the air may be oneof a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, and the“other direction” may be the other of the counterclockwise direction andthe clockwise direction.

The housing 210 may be at or in the back of the fan assembly 200, andmay have a front opening and a space configured to allow air to flowtherein. For example, the housing 210 may be configured to sit or residein a recess or depression in the front of the multi-duct 100.Accordingly, the fan assembly 200 may be placed in the housing 210without intruding into the storage space of the refrigerator. In someembodiments, the housing 210 may be fabricated separately and assembledwith the multi-duct 100, or may extend or protrude from, or beintegrated with, the multi-duct 100. Furthermore, as described above,the housing 210 may be in or on the main body 10 instead of themulti-duct 100.

When the fan assembly 200 is in the refrigerator 1, the housing 210 maybe configured such that the back of the suction guide unit 220 and thefan unit 230 are sealed. Accordingly, air introduced from the front ofthe fan assembly 200 into the housing 210 using the suction guide unit220 may be discharged to the front of the fan assembly 200, thusrecirculating the air.

The housing 210 may include a step 212 configured to support the edge ofthe suction guide unit 220. One or more suction guide unit fixing holes214 configured to fix or attach the suction guide unit 220 (e.g., to thehousing 210 and/or the step 212) may be along the circumference of thestep 212. Part of the multi-duct 100 that forms the housing 210 may becut out to form the suction guide unit fixing hole 214. As shown in FIG.3, four suction guide unit fixing holes 214 may be along the entrycircumference of the housing 210.

A protrusion 216 protruding or extending toward the center of the fan238 of the fan unit 230 may be on the back side of the housing 210. Theprotrusion 216 is spaced apart from the fan 238 at a specific distance,and may guide air introduced into the housing 210 through the suctionguide unit 220 to enable the air to be discharged through the fan 238more efficiently.

Furthermore, a side 218 that may form a periphery for the inner space ofthe housing 210 may be slanted so that air introduced through thesuction guide unit 220 is more efficiently guided toward the fan unit230.

In one embodiment, the housing 210 has a closed space or wall at theback of the suction guide unit 220 and the fan unit 230, but the spiritof the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the upperside of the housing 210 may communicate or be integrated with the coolair passage in the multi-duct 100. The cool air provided to themulti-duct 100 may be mixed with air introduced into the refrigerator 1in the suction guide unit 220, and may be then discharged by the fanassembly 200.

The suction guide unit 220 may be attached to the opening part of thehousing 210 along the inner circumference of the fan assembly 200, andmay allow the air to be introduced into the housing 210. Specifically,the suction guide unit 220 may include an outside frame 221 configuredto form the edge of the suction guide unit 220, an inner frame 222within the outside frame 221 and spaced apart from the outside frame 221at a specific distance to form a suction passage 229, suction guide ribs223 configured to concentrate air introduced into the suction passage229 into the fan unit 230, a fan unit accommodation unit 224 connectedto the inner frame 222 and configured to receive the fan unit 230 andthe damping unit 240, a discharge guide unit support part 225 atboundaries of the inner frame 222 and the fan unit accommodation unit224, configured to support the discharge guide unit 250, first couplingholes 226 in the fan unit accommodation unit 224 and configured to havethe fixing parts 264 of the fixing unit 260 inserted therein, a fan unitsupport part 227 on the back side of the fan unit accommodation unit 224and configured to prevent the backward detachment of the fan unit 230and the damping unit 240, and shoulder protrusions 228 on thecircumference of the outside frame 221 and configured to fix or attachthe outside frame 221 to the housing 210.

The outside frame 221 may have a shape and size so that the housing 210may accommodate the outside frame 221. The edge of the outside frame 221may be configured to be seated in the step 212.

The outside frame 221 and the inner frame 222 may have surfaces thatface each other, and may surround the circumference of the fan unit 230received therein. The front and rear width of the outside frame 221 maybe greater than those of the inner frame 222. Each of the suction guideribs 223 connecting the outside frame 221 and the inner frame 222 mayhave a portion with a width that increases in the direction from theinner frame 222 to the outer frame 221. Accordingly, the suction guideunit 220 may guide the air around the edge of the fan assembly 200toward the center of the suction guide unit 220 more efficiently, suchthat the air can flow towards or enter the housing 210.

The suction passage 229, that is, a space between the outside frame 221and the inner frame 222, may be a passage through which air enters thehousing 210. A force that siphons air toward the inside of the housing210 is generated by driving the fan unit 210 or rotating the fan withinthe fan unit 210.

One end or side of the suction guide rib 223 is attached to the outsideframe 221, and the other end or side is attached to the inner frame 222.A plurality of the suction guide ribs 223 may be in the suction passage229 and spaced apart at specific distances. The suction guide ribs 223may be configured in a radial form to efficiently guide air into the fanunit 230 at the center of the fan assembly 200. That is, the distancebetween the suction guide ribs 223 may be wider closer to the outsideframe 221 than the distance between the suction guide ribs 223 closer tothe inner frame 222.

The central part of the inner frame 222 may be open. The fan unit 230and the damping unit 240 may be inserted into the central part of theinner frame 222. The fan unit accommodation unit 224 may extend from theinner frame 222 and surround the circumference of the fan unit 230, andthe damping unit 240 may be inserted into the central part of the innerframe 222. The fan unit accommodation unit 224 may have a lengthenabling the fan unit 230 and the damping unit 240 to not protrude orextend to the front of the outside frame 221. For example, the frontside of the fan unit 230 may be configured such that the fan unit 230fits in the inner frame 222.

The discharge guide unit support part 225 may be configured to supportthe back of the discharge guide unit 250 and may be at a portion orlocation where the inner frame 222 and the fan unit accommodation unit224 are connected. The discharge guide unit support part 225 may have abump capable of supporting or configured to support the edge of thedischarge guide unit 250. The discharge guide unit support part 225 maybe configured such that the back of the discharge guide unit 250 and thefan unit 230 are spaced apart at a specific distance when the dischargeguide unit 250 is seated in the discharge guide unit support part 225.That is, the fan unit 230 may not come into direct contact with thedischarge guide unit 250. Accordingly, vibrations generated from the fanunit 230 may be prevented from reaching the discharge guide unit 250,and thus, the generation of noise and/or additional vibrations may bereduced or prevented.

The side of the fan unit accommodation unit 224 may be cut out to formthe first coupling hole 226. For example, the first coupling hole 226may have a size and shape corresponding to the fixing part 264 of thefixing unit 260 such that the fixing part 264 is elastically deformedand coupled to the first coupling hole 226. The fixing part 264 of thefixing unit 260 may be attached or fixed to the first coupling hole 226through the discharge guide unit 250. The discharge guide unit 250 maybe attached or fixed to the suction guide unit 220 by coupling thefixing part 264 and the first coupling hole 226.

The fan unit support parts 227 may have a specific area such that thedamping unit 240 surrounding the fan unit 230 may be supported, and maybe or comprise a plate that faces the fan unit 230. As shown in FIG. 4,triangular plates connect edges near corners (e.g., vertices) of the fanunit accommodation unit 224, but the shape, location and number of thefan unit support parts 227 is not limited in the present disclosure. Thesize and location of the fan unit support parts 227 may be limited bythe area of the fan unit 230 and be configured so as to not prevent airor airflow from entering the fan unit 230.

The shoulder protrusions 228 are on the circumference of the outsideframe 221 and may be inserted into the suction guide unit fixing holes214 of the housing 210. When the shoulder protrusions 228 are insertedinto the suction guide unit fixing holes 214, the shoulder protrusions228 are elastically deformed to a specific level. After the shoulderprotrusions 228 are inserted into the suction guide unit fixing holes214, the shoulder protrusions 228 may be restricted from being detachedfrom the suction guide unit fixing holes 214, unless an adequateexternal force is applied to the shoulder protrusions 228. The outsideframe 221 can be fixed or attached to the housing 210 by coupling theshoulder protrusions 228 and the suction guide unit fixing holes 214. Asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the shoulder protrusions 228 may be or comprisehooks extending from a central part of each outside edge of the outsideframe 221.

The fan unit 230 may be supplied with power, and the power may drive thefan 238 to generate a rotary force that acts on or causes the air flow.Specifically, the fan unit 230 may include a case 232 that correspondsto a shape of the inner frame 222 of the suction guide unit 220 and thathas a hole through which air can pass at the central part of the case232, a driving unit 234 at the central part of the hole of the case 232,configured to include a driving device, such as a motor, a plurality ofsupport ribs 236 configured to support the driving unit 234 against thecase 232, and the fan 238 connected to the driving device of the drivingunit 234. The fan unit 230 may be an axial flow fan extending in thefront and back direction of the rotation axis to discharge the wind(e.g., air flow) from the back of the fan unit 230 to the front. Theaxial flow fan has an advantage in that it can be easily disposed in theinternal space of the refrigerator having a great spatial limit becausethe width or depth of the refrigerator along the front-to-back directionis narrow.

In this case, the fan unit 230 may be configured so that, when the fan238 operates, the whirlwind direction of air flow rotates in onedirection with respect to the progress direction of the air flow. Forexample, a flow formed by the rotation of the fan 238 of the fan unit230 may be a whirlwind flow that rotates counterclockwise around theprogress direction of the air flow. In other words, air in the cold room11 may enter the fan unit 230 through the suction guide unit 220, may bewhirled counterclockwise by the fan unit 230, and may be discharged intothe housing 210. When the air flow is monitored at the front of the fanassembly 200, the air discharged through the fan unit 230 rotatesclockwise. However, this flow is, in practice, considered acounterclockwise whirlwind when viewed along the progress direction ofthe air.

The damping unit 240 may reduce vibration and noise generated by the fanassembly 200 by absorbing vibrations generated by the fan unit 230. Tothis end, the damping unit 240 may comprise a material having specificelastic or damping properties. For example, the damping unit 240 maycomprise a rubber material. Specifically, the damping unit 240 mayinclude a side damper 242 configured to surround the circumference ofthe case 232 of the fan unit 230 and absorb lateral vibrations of thefan unit 230, a front damper 243 on the front of the side damper 242,closely attached to the front of the fan unit 230 and including aplurality of vibration-proof protrusions 244 configured to (i) absorbthe vibrations of the fan unit 230 and (ii) contact the back side of thedischarge guide unit 250, and a rear damper 245 on the back of the sidedamper 242, attached to the back of the fan unit 230 and configured toinclude a plurality of vibration-proof protrusions 246 configured to (i)absorb the vibrations of the fan unit 230 and (ii) contact the front ofthe fan unit support part 227 of the suction guide unit 220.

The side damper 242 may correspond to an outward appearance of the fanunit 230 and have a shape and dimensions that accommodate the fan unit230. As shown in FIG. 5, the side damper 242 may have a rectangularshape with rounded corners.

The front damper 243 and the rear damper 245 may connect adjacent edgesnear the corners of the side damper 242 and cover part of the front sideand back side of the fan unit 230, respectively. The front damper 243may be located at two opposite corners of the side damper 242 (as shownin FIG. 5), and the rear dampers 245 may be located at two otheropposite corners of the side damper 242 (as shown in FIG. 8). Thus, theproductivity (e.g., the manufacturing productivity and/or yield) of thefan assembly 200 and refrigerator 1 can be improved because insertingthe fan unit 230 into the damping unit 240 is relatively easy.Furthermore, the front damper 243 and the rear damper 245 may have asize and shape that do not hinder or prevent air flow generated by thefan unit 230, but the spirit of the present disclosure is not limitedthereto. In some embodiments, the location, shape and size of the frontdamper 243 and the rear damper 245 may be adjusted.

The vibration-proof protrusions 244 and 246 in the front damper 243 andthe rear damper 245 may be bumps, raised dots, or projections protrudingor extending from the front damper 243 and the rear damper 245,respectively, at a specific height, and each of the protrusions 244 and246 may have a hemispherical shape so that the peak of each protrusionmay contact another component of the fan assembly 200 (such as the fanunit support part 227). Since the vibration-proof protrusions 244 and246 contact a surrounding component, the contact area between thedamping unit 240 and the surrounding component can be minimized, andvibrations transmitted to the surrounding component through the dampingunit 240 can be minimized. Specifically, vibrations generated from thefan unit 230 are primarily absorbed by the damping unit 240 andsecondarily transmitted to the surrounding component through the dampingunit 240. Thus, the transmitted vibrations may be transmitted only tolocal components by reducing the contact area between the damping unit240 and the surrounding components. Accordingly, the amount oftransmitted vibrations can be reduced, and the vibrations can becontrolled more easily. More specifically, the effects of the vibrationsof the fan unit 230 may intensify due to resonance attributable to theresonant frequency of the fan unit 230. The resonance of the fan unit230 can be prevented or attenuated by adjusting the size, number,location and height of the vibration-proof protrusions 244 and 246.

In this case, one side or a plurality of sides of the side damper 242may be spaced apart from the side of the fan unit accommodation unit 224of the suction guide unit 220 at a specific distance. Accordingly, aportion where the damping unit 240 contacts the surrounding componentsmay be further reduced, and vibrations delivered from thevibration-proof protrusions 244 and 246 to the contacted portions mayincrease, thereby effectively reducing the amount of vibrationsdelivered to the surrounding components.

The discharge guide unit 250 includes a passage that forms the centralpart of the front of the fan assembly 200 and is configured to dischargeair in the inner space of the housing 210 into the storage space of therefrigerator 1. Specifically, the discharge guide unit 250 may include acover 251 coupled or attached to the inner frame 222 of the suctionguide unit 220, configured to shield or cover a corresponding area ofthe case 232 of the fan unit 230. The cover 251 includes an opening ator in the center of the cover 251, configured to allow air to passtherethrough, a shield plate 253 in the center of the opening in thecover 251, configured to shield or cover an area corresponding to thedriving unit 236 of the fan unit 230, a plurality of discharge guideribs 254 configured to generate a whirlwind flow and/or rotate airdischarged through a discharge passage 252 (that is, the space betweenthe cover 251 and the shield plate 253) with respect to the progressdirection of the air, and a second coupling hole 256 in the cover 251,configured to receive the fixing part 264 of the fixing unit 260therein.

The edge of the cover 251 may comprise a plate having a shapecorresponding to and/or accommodating the inner frame 222 and thedischarge guide unit support part 225 so that the cover 251 may beseated in the discharge guide unit support part 225 of the suction guideunit 220. The cover 251 may shield or cover other areas except the areawhere ventilation toward the front is performed by the fan unit 230 inthe portion open at the center of the inner frame 222, thus preventingunnecessary air flow.

The shield plate 253 may have a size and shape corresponding to thedriving unit 236 of the fan unit 230 and may form the discharge passage252 along with the cover 251 so that air flow generated by the fan unit230 can be concentrated into the discharge passage 252.

The discharge passage 252 may function as a passage configured todischarge air from inside the housing 210. A force that discharges airto the outside of the housing 210 may be generated by driving the fanunit 230. In this case, the discharge guide unit 250 may be at thecenter of the suction guide unit 220. The discharge passage 252 may besurrounded by the suction passage 229. Accordingly, the flow of airdischarged from the discharge passage 252 may be confined by and/orwithin the flow of air pulled into the suction passage 229, therebyfurther improving the straightness of the air discharged from thedischarge passage 252.

One end or side of the discharge guide rib 254 is fixed or attached tothe cover 251, and the other end or side thereof is fixed or attached tothe shield plate 253. A plurality of the discharge guide ribs 254 may bein the discharge passage 252 and spaced apart at specific distances. Thedischarge guide ribs 254 may be slanted, angled and/or curved so thatair introduced through the discharge passage 252 may rotate and flow inone direction with respect to the progress direction of the air. In oneembodiment, the discharge guide ribs 254 may be slanted, angled and/orcurved counterclockwise with respect to the pivot axis C of the fan unit230 (FIG. 6) when viewed from the back side of the fan assembly 200 sothat air in the housing 210 passing through the discharge passage 252rotates counterclockwise with respect to the progress direction of theair (i.e., the direction along an axis coming out of the plane of thepage in FIG. 9). For example, the discharge guide ribs 254 may beinclined more to the counterclockwise direction at the end nearest tothe shield plate 253 than the end nearest to the cover 251 with respectto the progress direction of the air. In this case, the discharge guiderib 254 may have a surface convexly curved in the inclined direction sothat a whirlwind flow can be generated more efficiently. That is, thedischarge guide ribs 254 may be convex counterclockwise with respect tothe progress direction of the air.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the discharge guide ribs 254 may betwisted in the direction in which a whirlwind is to be formed so thatthe whirlwind flow may be formed more smoothly.

Portions of the inside of the cover 251 may be cut off to form thesecond coupling hole 256. The second coupling hole 256 may be at alocation corresponding to the fixing part 264 and the first couplinghole 226, so that the fixing part 264 of the fixing unit 260 may enterthe first coupling hole 226 through the second coupling hole 256. Thefixing part 264 of the fixing unit 260 may be fixed to the suction guideunit 220 through the second coupling hole 256. The discharge guide unit250 may be fixed or attached to the suction guide unit 220 by thecoupling of the fixing part 264 and the first coupling hole 226.

In one embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the discharge guide unit 250 is fixedor attached to the suction guide unit 220 by the fixing unit 260, andthus is fixed or attached to the housing 210, but the discharge guideunit 250 may be configured to be directly coupled or fixed to thesuction guide unit 220 or fixed to the housing 210.

The fixing unit 260 is configured to fix the discharge guide unit 250 tothe suction guide unit 220. The fixing unit 260 may include a deco plate262 having a shape corresponding to the cover 251 of the discharge guideunit 250, configured to decorate the front of the fan assembly, and thefixing part 264, extending from the back of the deco plate 262 andhaving a hook at an end of the fixing part 264 (e.g., distal from thedeco plate 262).

A hole or opening is at the center of the deco plate 262 and isconfigured to discharge air from the discharge guide unit 250therethrough. Once the deco plate 262 is coupled or attached to thecover 251, the appearance of the front of the fan assembly 200 may bemore aesthetic or appealing.

In one embodiment, the fixing part 264 may comprise a hook and may becoupled or attached to the first coupling hole 226 through the secondcoupling hole 256. The fixing unit 260 and the fixing part 264 may fixor attach the discharge guide unit 250 to the suction guide unit 220 invarious ways. For example, the fixing unit 260 may comprise a hookintegrated with the discharge guide unit 250, and thus, the dischargeguide unit 250 may be directly coupled or attached to the suction guideunit 220 or the housing 210.

A method of assembling the fan assembly 200 is described below.

First, the fan unit 230 may be inserted into the space between the sidedamper 242, front damper 243 and rear damper 245 of the damping unit240, and the case 232 of the fan unit 230 and the inner surfaces of thedampers 242, 243, and 245 may be closely attached. Since the dampingunit 240 comprises an elastic material, a worker may elastically deformthe front damper 243 or the rear damper 245 and easily push the fan unit230 into the space between the side dampers 242 when assembling the fanunit 230.

Furthermore, the fan unit 230 and the damping unit 240 are inserted intothe fan unit accommodation unit 224 of the suction guide unit 220. Inthis case, the vibration-proof protrusions 246 in the rear damper 245 ofthe damping unit 240 may come into contact with the fan unit supportpart 227 of the suction guide unit 220. Furthermore, one or more sidesof the side damper 242 may be spaced apart from the side of the fan unitsupport part 227 at a specific distance.

Thereafter, the discharge guide unit 250 may cover the fan unit 230 andthe damping unit 240 and may be coupled or attached to the suction guideunit 220 so that the discharge guide unit 250 may be supported by thedischarge guide unit support part 225 of the suction guide unit 220. Inthis case, in the coupling state of the discharge guide unit 250, thecover 251 may maintain a tentative assembly state in which it closelyadheres to the discharge guide unit support part 225. When the cover 251closely adheres to the discharge guide unit support part 225, thevibration-proof protrusions 244 of the front damper 243 come intocontact with the back of the cover 251, so the second coupling hole 256and the first coupling hole 226 may be mutually aligned.

Furthermore, the fixing unit 260 is coupled or attached to the front ofthe discharge guide unit 250 so that the fixing parts 264 may passthrough the second coupling hole 256. The fixing parts 264 mayelastically deform when passing through the second coupling hole 256 andthe first coupling hole 226. When the insertion is completed, the fixingparts 264 may return to their original state and can firmly fix orattach the discharge guide unit 250 to the suction guide unit 220.

When the attachment of the discharge guide unit 250 and the suctionguide unit 220 is completed by the fixing unit 260, the suction guideunit 220 is coupled to the housing 210 and the shoulder protrusions 228of the suction guide unit 220 are inserted into the suction guide unitfixing holes 214 of the housing 210, so that the suction guide unit 220can be fixed to the housing 210.

In this case, the coupling of the suction guide unit 220 and the housing210 may be performed before the fan unit 230, etc. is assembled with thesuction guide unit 220, or these components may be assembled in randomorder.

An exemplary operation and consequent effects of the fan assembly 200are described below.

The fan assembly 200 is in the wall on one side of the storage space inthe refrigerator 1. The fan assembly 200 siphons air in the refrigeratorand discharges the siphoned air, but generates a whirlwind flow rotatingin one direction, thereby circulating the air in the refrigerator morerapidly and smoothly. Accordingly, a temperature in the refrigerator canrapidly return to a proper temperature (e.g., a predeterminedtemperature range), and the temperature distribution in the refrigeratorcan become uniform. Furthermore, the straightness of discharged air canbe further improved because a flow siphoned by the fan assembly 200 canconfine air flow discharged by the fan assembly.

Specifically, when the fan unit 230 of the fan assembly 200 is driven,air flow moves from the back of the fan unit 230 to the front due to therotation of the fan 238. By such an air flow, air outside the fanassembly 200 enters the housing 210 through the suction guide unit 220.

The air passing through the suction guide unit 220 is guided by orconcentrated onto the suction guide ribs 223 in the direction of the fanunit 230. After passing through the suction guide unit 220, the air maycollide against or may be reflected by the inner wall of the housing210. Alternatively, the air may be guided into the back of the fan unit230 by the side 218 of the housing 210 and the protrusion part 216.

Furthermore, the fan unit 230 discharges the air while rotating the airin one direction with respect to the progress direction of the air fromthe fan unit 230 (that is, the direction in which the air moves from theback of the fan unit 230 to the front of the fan unit 230).

The air discharged by the fan unit 230 passes through the dischargeguide unit 250, and is guided by the discharge guide ribs 254 so that itrotates in one direction again with respect to the progress direction ofthe air. Thus, a whirlwind flow may be further enhanced.

The air discharged through the fan assembly 200 through such a processmay have a strong whirlwind flow. If the air is whirled and discharged,the straightness of air flow from the fan unit 230 can be improved,thereby enabling the flow of the air from the fan unit 230 to proceedfurther than otherwise. As a result, a strong convection current may begenerated in the storage space of the refrigerator 1.

In this case, the discharge guide unit 250 is at the center of thesuction guide unit 220, and the discharge passage 252 is surrounded bythe suction passage 229. Accordingly, the flow of air discharged fromthe discharge passage 252 can be confined in the flow of air enteringthe suction passage 229, thus improving the straightness of the airdischarged from the discharge passage 252.

In particular, although a small-sized axial flow fan is used as the fanunit 130 in the fan assembly 200 as in a conventional technology, thedischarge guide unit 250 generates a strong whirlwind flow by rotatingthe air flow, thus improving the straightness of the flow. Accordingly,a convection current effect in the storage space can be further improvedcompared to the case in which only the axial flow fan is used.

Accordingly, the temperature in the storage space of the refrigerator 1may become rapidly uniform. In particular, since a variety of types offood are stored in the cold room 1, cool air may not be efficientlycirculated due to convection current. If the fan assembly 200 accordingto the present embodiment generates a whirlwind flow having improvedstraightness, the cool air may be supplied to every part of the coldroom 1.

Furthermore, if the doors 13 and 14 are open, and external air entersthe storage space of the refrigerator 1, subsequently raising thetemperature in the refrigerator, the fan assembly 200 may generate aconvection current, thus circulating cool air in the storage space andlowering the temperature rapidly to a proper or predeterminedtemperature.

Such an effect may be magnified compared to the refrigerator 1. The timetaken for external air to return to a proper temperature after theexternal air is introduced is longer in the refrigerator 1 of thetop-mount type having a single evaporator that provides cool air to thecold room 11 via the freezing room 12.

To this end, the refrigerator 1 may further include a door sensor (notshown). When the door sensor senses opening and/or closing of the door13 or 14, the controller (not shown) of the refrigerator 1 may generatea convection current in the storage space by driving the fan assembly200 for a specific time.

Furthermore, the refrigerator 1 may further include a temperature sensor(not shown). When a rise of the temperature of the storage space issensed by the temperature sensor, the controller of the refrigerator 1may generate a convection current in the storage space by driving thefan assembly 200.

Furthermore, the refrigerator 1 may further include a defrosting heater(not shown). When the cool air supply device is driven after thedefrosting heater is driven, the controller of the refrigerator 1 maygenerate a convection current in the storage space by driving the fanassembly 200.

In this case, the controller of the refrigerator 1 may include both thedoor sensor and the temperature sensor, and drive the fan assembly 200by taking into consideration either or both of them. For example, thecontroller of the refrigerator 1 may drive the fan assembly 200 for aspecific time only when a temperature of the storage space rises to aset value or higher after sensing the opening and/or closing of thedoors 13 and 14. Alternatively, the controller of the refrigerator 1 maydrive the fan assembly 200 for a specific time only when a temperatureof the storage space rises to a set value or higher after the defrostingheater is operated or driven.

The fan assembly 200 may generate relatively low noise and vibrationswhen the fan unit 230 is used. Specifically, the damping unit 240 of thefan assembly 200 may absorb vibrations generated by the fan unit 230because it surrounds the fan unit 230. At this time, vibrations in thefront and back directions generated by the fan unit 30 may be minimizedusing the damping unit 240, and such vibrations may be delivered ortransmitted to surrounding components because the vibration-proofprotrusions 244 and 246 are in contact with the suction guide unit 220and the discharge guide unit 250.

Furthermore, if one or more sides of the side damper 242 of the dampingunit 240 are spaced apart from the side of the fan unit accommodationunit 224 at a specific distance, the overall vibration and noisereduction effects of the fan assembly 200 may be further improvedbecause the delivery of vibrations to surrounding components is reduced,and the vibrations may be concentrated at the points of contact.

If the fan assembly 200 is in the multi-duct 100, productivity can beimproved because the fan assembly 200 can be installed by changing onlythe injection mold of the multi-duct 100 without a need to separatelyprocess the inner case of the main body 10 to fix or attach the fanassembly 200.

Furthermore, if the outlets 102 for discharging cool air are on the sideof the multi-duct 100, a cooling effect can be further improved becausepart of the cool air laterally discharged and moving along the innercase of the main body 10 is influenced by the fan assembly 200 andfurther spread into the storage space. That is, the direction in whichthe multi-duct 100 discharges the cool air through the outlets 102 andthe direction in which the fan assembly 200 discharges air may bedifferent. To this end, some of the outlets 102 may be at a heightcorresponding to the location of the fan assembly 200.

Furthermore, the fan assembly 200 may be spaced apart from the foodstorage separators 15 so that air discharged by the fan assembly 200 andcool air discharged to the storage space through the outlets 102 mayinfluence food stored on or in the food storage separators 15.

The fan assembly of a refrigerator according to an alternativeembodiment of the present invention is described below with reference toFIGS. 11 and 12. The alternative embodiment is different from theaforementioned embodiment in the configuration of the suction guideunit. Accordingly, the differences between the embodiments are chieflydescribed, and the description and reference numerals of theaforementioned embodiment are cited with respect to the same part.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative suction guide for a fanassembly of a refrigerator according to the alternative embodiment ofthe present invention. FIG. 12 is a front view of the fan assembly towhich the suction guide of FIG. 11 has been applied.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the suction guide unit 220′ of the fanassembly of the refrigerator according to another embodiment of thepresent invention may include suction guide ribs 223′ for generating awhirlwind flow by rotating air in the suction passage 229 in onedirection with respect to the progress direction of the air.

Specifically, the suction guide ribs 223′ may be slanted so that airpassing through the suction passage 229 rotates in one direction andflows with respect to the progress direction of the air. In thisalternative embodiment, the suction guide ribs 223′ may be inclinedand/or curved counterclockwise with respect to the pivot axis C of thefan unit 230 at its center when viewed from the front of the fanassembly 200 so that air pulled into the housing 210 through the suctionpassage 229 is rotated counterclockwise based on the progress directionof the air. That is, the end or edge nearest the inner frame of thesuction guide ribs 223′ may be more counterclockwise inclined than theend or edge nearest the outside frame with respect to the progressdirection of the air. In this case, the suction guide ribs 223′ may havea curved convex surface moving counterclockwise around the suction guideunit 220′ so that a whirlwind flow is generated more efficiently. Thatis, the suction guide ribs 223′ may be convex counterclockwise based onthe progress direction of the air.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the suction guide ribs 223′ may betwisted in the direction in which a whirlwind is formed so that awhirlwind flow can be formed more efficiently.

In this case, the fan unit 230 may be configured so that the whirlwinddirection of air flow generated when air is discharged by the rotationof the fan 238 is the same as the whirlwind direction of air flow in thesuction guide unit 220′. To this end, the rotation direction of thedriving device and the twist direction of the wings of the fan 238 maybe changed. That is, if the air flow through the suction guide unit 220′is the same as a whirlwind flow that rotates counterclockwise based onthe progress direction of air as in the present embodiment, air flowformed by the rotation of the fan 238 of the fan unit 230 may be thesame as a whirlwind flow that counterclockwise rotates based on theprogress direction of the flow. In other words, air in the cold room 11may be whirled counterclockwise through the suction guide unit 220 intothe housing 210, may be whirled counterclockwise by the fan unit 230,and may be then discharged from the inner space of the housing 210.Accordingly, a whirlwind flow may be further enhanced, because the fanunit 230 is configured to generate a whirlwind flow having the samedirection as the whirlwind flow formed by the suction guide unit 220′ asdescribed above.

When air flow is monitored at the front of the fan assembly 200, the airentering the housing 210 may appear to be whirled counterclockwise, andthe air discharged using the fan unit 230 appears to be dischargedclockwise. However, the two air flows are both counterclockwisewhirlwinds when considered with respect to the progress direction of theair.

In relation to the directions of whirlwind flows generated by thesuction guide unit 220′ and the discharge guide unit 250, the two guides220′ and 250 generate whirlwind flows rotating in one direction (i.e.,the counterclockwise direction in the present embodiment) with respectto the progress direction of the air. In this case, the air proceeds (oris siphoned) from the front side of the refrigerator 1 to the back usingthe suction guide unit 220, and air proceeds (or is discharged) from theback of the refrigerator 1 to the front, that is, a direction oppositethe suction direction, using the discharge guide unit 250. Accordingly,although the whirlwind flows have the same direction, when viewed fromthe front of the fan assembly 200 as in FIG. 9, that is, when the fanassembly 200 is viewed from the inside of the storage space, air flowintroduced using the suction guide unit 220′ may be monitored to looklike rotating counterclockwise (i.e., one direction), and a flowdischarged using the discharge guide unit 250 may appear to rotateclockwise (i.e., the other direction). Likewise, when viewed from thefront of the fan assembly 200, the direction in which the suction guideribs 223′ are inclined and the direction in which the discharge guideribs 254 are inclined may be opposite.

Hereinafter, the operation and effects of the fan assembly 200 havingsuch a configuration according to the alternative embodiment of thepresent invention are described.

When the fan unit 230 of the fan assembly 200 is driven, air flow movingfrom the back of the fan unit 230 to the front is generated by therotation of the fan 238. Air outside the fan assembly 200 enters thehousing 210 through the suction guide unit 220′.

The air passing through the suction guide unit 220′ rotates in onedirection based on the progress direction of the air (that is, thedirection in which the air enters the housing 210) by the suction guideribs 223′. Accordingly, a whirlwind flow of air rotating in onedirection is generated in the housing 210. In the alternativeembodiment, air entering the housing 210 through the suction guide unit220′ has been illustrated as rotating counterclockwise h respect to theprogress direction of the air.

Air whirled while passing through the suction guide unit 220′ is guidedto the back of the fan unit 230. The fan unit 230 is configured so thatthe whirlwind direction of air flow generated when air is discharged hasthe same direction as that of the air flow for the progress direction ofair in the suction guide unit 220′. Accordingly, the fan unit 230discharges air while rotating the air in one direction (that is, thedirection in which the air moves from the back of the fan unit 230 tothe front). In other words, a whirlwind flow primarily generated by thesuction guide unit 220′ and rotated in one direction may secondarilyhave a stronger flow by the fan unit 230.

The air discharged by the fan unit 230 is guided so that it passesthrough the discharge guide unit 250 and rotates in the one directionwith respect to the progress direction of the air by the discharge guideribs 254. That is, the whirlwind flow can be even further enhanced.

The air discharged through the fan assembly 200 using such a process mayhave a stronger whirlwind flow. When air is whirled and discharged, thestraightness of the air flow may be improved, thus allowing the air flowto proceed further than otherwise. Accordingly, a strong convectioncurrent may be generated in the storage space of the narrow refrigerator1.

Furthermore, a power load applied to the fan unit 230 may be reduced,and thus, corresponding vibrations and noise may be reduced because airsupplied to the fan unit 230 has a whirlwind flow.

In accordance with the refrigerator and the fan assembly for arefrigerator according to the embodiments of the present disclosure,there is an advantage in that the temperature in the refrigerator canrapidly return to a proper or predetermined temperature when a door isopen and external air of a relatively high temperature enters therefrigerator.

Furthermore, there is an effect in that a temperature distribution inthe refrigerator can rapidly become uniform.

Furthermore, there is an advantage in that noise and vibrations aresmall, even though the fan is used.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical ideas ofthe present disclosure, and various changes and modifications may bemade without departing from the essential characteristics of the presentdisclosure. Therefore, embodiments described in the present disclosureare not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but areintended to illustrate the present disclosure. The scope of protectionof the present disclosure should be construed according to the followingclaims, and all technical ideas which are equivalent or equivalentthereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A refrigerator, comprising: a main body havingone or more storage spaces; one or more doors configured to open orclose at least part of the one or more storage spaces; a cool air supplydevice configured to supply cool air to maintain the one or more storagespaces at a predetermined temperature; food storage separatorsconfigured to partition the one or more storage spaces and store food;and a fan assembly on or in a side wall of the one or more storagespaces, configured to generate one or more whirlwinds and discharge theone or more whirlwinds to the storage space, including (i) a suctionpassage configured to siphon air and (ii) a discharge passagesurrounding the suction passage, configured to discharge the air.
 2. Therefrigerator of claim 1, wherein the fan assembly siphons air from theone or more storage spaces and discharges the air to the one or morestorage spaces when generating the one or more whirlwinds.
 3. Therefrigerator of claim 1, wherein the fan assembly siphons the air fromthe one or more storage spaces in one direction and discharges the airtoward the one or more storage spaces in an opposite direction.
 4. Therefrigerator of claim 1, wherein: the fan assembly rotates a firstwhirlwind of the siphoned air in a clockwise or counterclockwisedirection, and the fan assembly rotates a second whirlwind of thedischarged air in the other of the clockwise and counterclockwisedirections.
 5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein, when the fanassembly is viewed from the one or more storage spaces, the fan assemblyrotates the siphoned air in one direction and pulls or draws thesiphoned air into the fan assembly, and the fan assembly rotates thedischarged air in another direction and discharges the air from the fanassembly.
 6. A refrigerator, comprising: a main body having one or morestorage spaces; one or more doors configured to open or close at leastpart of the one or more storage spaces; a cool air supply deviceconfigured to supply cool air to maintain the one or more storage spacesat a predetermined temperature; food storage separators configured topartition the storage spaces and store food; and a fan assembly in theone or more storage spaces, configured to siphon air, discharge the air,and rotate the air when siphoning and discharging the air, wherein thefan assembly comprises: a housing providing a flow space configured tochange a direction of the air inside the housing and discharge the airtoward a front of the housing; a fan unit in the housing, configured togenerate a flow of the air; a suction guide unit having a suctionpassage configured to introduce the air from the one or more storagespaces into the housing and the fan unit; and a discharge guide unithaving a discharge passage configured to discharge the air from thehousing to the one or more storage spaces and rotate the air, and thesuction passage surrounds the discharge passage.
 7. The refrigerator ofclaim 6, further comprising: a multi-duct configured to discharge thecool air through a plurality of points or locations into the storagespace, wherein the fan assembly is on a front side of the multi-duct. 8.The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the housing is integrated with themulti-duct.
 9. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein: the multi-ductcomprises a plurality of outlets that discharge the cool air, one ormore of the outlets are at a height corresponding to a location of thefan assembly, and a first direction in which the outlets discharge thecool air and a second direction in which the fan assembly discharges theair are different.
 10. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein: themulti-duct includes a cool air passage configured to move the cool air,the cool air passage communicates with the housing, and some of the coolair that moves through the cool air passage enters the fan assembly. 11.The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein: the air supply device comprises anevaporator configured to generate the cool air, the cool air from theevaporator is discharged to the one or more storage spaces, and the fanassembly siphons the air from the one or more storage spaces anddischarges the air to the one or more storage spaces.
 12. Therefrigerator of claim 11, wherein: the one or more storage spacescomprise a cold room and a freezing room, and the refrigerator isconfigured to deliver the cool air to the cold room through the freezingroom, and the fan assembly is in the cold room.
 13. The refrigerator ofclaim 6, wherein the suction guide unit guides the air into a spacewithin the housing and rotates the air.
 14. The refrigerator of claim 6,wherein the fan assembly is spaced apart from the food storageseparators.
 15. A fan assembly, comprising: a housing having a frontopening and comprising an inner space; a suction guide unit in the frontopening of the housing and comprising suction guide ribs configured toguide air entering the housing; a fan unit in a center of the suctionguide unit; a discharge guide unit in the center of the suction guideunit and comprising discharge guide ribs configured to generate a firstwhirlwind by rotating air discharged by the fan unit; and a fixing unitconfigured to fix or attach the discharge guide unit to the suctionguide unit, wherein a first part of the air discharged through thedischarge guide ribs is surrounded by a flow siphoned through thesuction guide ribs.
 16. The fan assembly of claim 15, wherein thehousing includes a closed space at a back side of the suction guide unitand the fan unit.
 17. The fan assembly of claim 15, wherein the suctionguide unit comprises: an outside frame; an inner frame within theoutside frame and spaced apart from the outside frame to form a suctionpassage; a fan unit accommodation unit connected to the inner frame andconfigured to receive the fan unit; and a fan unit support part at aback side of the fan unit accommodation unit, configured to prevent abackward detachment of the fan unit, wherein the suction guide ribs areslanted or curved so that the air entering the housing through thesuction passage rotates.
 18. The fan assembly of claim 17, furthercomprising a damping unit surrounding the fan unit, in the fan unitaccommodation unit, supported by the discharge guide unit and the fanunit support part, and configured to absorb vibrations from the fanunit.
 19. The fan assembly of claim 17, wherein the first whirlwindrotates in a direction identical with a direction of the air enteringthe housing through the suction passage.
 20. The fan assembly of claim15, wherein the discharge guide unit comprises: a cover coupled orattached to the suction guide unit and having a hole in a center thereofconfigured to allow the air to pass therethrough; and a shield plate at,in or over a center of the hole that forms a discharge passage andshields a location corresponding to a driving unit of the fan unit,wherein each of the discharge guide ribs are slanted or curved so thatair discharged from the housing through the discharge passage rotates.21. The fan assembly of claim 20, wherein the fixing unit comprises: adeco plate having a shape corresponding to the cover, on a front of thefan assembly; and a fixing part extending from a back of the deco plateand having a hook at an end thereof, wherein the fixing part isconfigured to be (i) inserted into a first coupling hole in the suctionguide unit and through a second coupling hole in the cover, and (ii)fixed to the first coupling hole, and the discharge guide unit is fixedto the suction guide unit when the fixing part is attached or fixed tothe first coupling hole.
 22. The fan assembly of claim 15, wherein thefan unit comprises: a case having a second hole at a center thereof,configured to allow the air to pass therethrough; a driving unit at thecenter of the case and including a driving device; and a fan connectedto the driving unit, wherein the fan unit comprises an axial flow fan.23. The fan assembly of claim 15, wherein the suction guide ribs arecurved in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction, and thedischarge guide ribs are curved in the other of the clockwise and thecounterclockwise directions.